The British Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) has announced that transgender women will be banned from competing in some domestic tournaments.
The LTA oversees the domestic game, so the rule changes do not apply to international matches which are played on British soil, including Wimbledon, or other events such as an internal club tournament, where venues will decide on their own rules.
However, the updated policy on transgender and non-binary participation means trans women and people assigned male at birth won’t be allowed to play in the women’s category in matches against players from another club or county.
“We are changing our policy to restrict trans women and non-binary individuals assigned male at birth from playing in the women’s category in specified, inter-venue competitions,” an LTA press release read.
“These will be competitions ranging from our national championships through to local county and district leagues, where the purpose is to provide fair competitive opportunities. This policy helps ensure there is a common national standard for all these competitions, which is fair.
“For non-specified competitions within venues, the purpose is primarily to provide fun, social competition to enable people to feel part of their local tennis community and players will be able to familiarise themselves with the policy within their own venue and hence who they are likely to be playing against.
“These will range from weekend social tournaments through to club championships.”
The governing body went on to say: “We want to encourage local venues to ensure they are as inclusive as possible for trans and non-binary individuals, providing opportunities to compete in a friendly environment. In line with this, the LTA’s own local tennis leagues (held in park venues) will remain fully inclusive.
“The policy attempts to balance two responsibilities appropriately but in the knowledge that different people will reasonably have different views as to where that balance should lie.”
You may like to watch
Tennis and padel tennis are “gender-affected sports” where the “average man” has an advantage over the “average woman… [and] this advantage is likely to be retained to a significant degree in trans women, making competition potentially unfair”, the statement continued.
The policy will come into effect on 25 January but will kept under review “in light of any new scientific or other information”, an LTA spokesperson said.
The change come a couple of weeks after the Ladies Professional Golf Association restricted golfers in the women’s category to those either assigned female at birth or, if transgender, “[they had] not experienced any part of male puberty”.
In addition, any trans golfer must have “continuously maintained the concentration of testosterone in their serum below 2.5 nmol/l”, to qualify. The average for cis women is between 0.5 and 2.4 nmol/l.
Trans darts player Noa-Lynn van Leuven will make history this week when she competes at the World Championships.
Van Leuven, who transitioned in 2021 and who has faced controversy for playing against cis women, qualified for the Professional Darts Corporation World Championship in October – the first trans woman to do so.
And on Tuesday (17 December), she will face Kevin Doets at London’s Alexandra Palace.
‘I just want to be Noa’
“It’s going to be a big achievement for me and for my kind of people,” Van Leuven told the PA news agency. “But I guess I just want to be Noa, I just want to play darts and not always having to talk about the fact I’m also transgender.
“I’m a darts player and I’m terribly good at it. But I guess it’s a big thing and I’m also the first Dutch woman to play on the Alexandra Palace stage.”
The darts star travelled to London for the match following a double shift as a junior sous chef, a career she intends to continue. “It also is a bit of a stress relief for me. We all know Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen and sometimes it can be like that in our kitchen, but I enjoy working there,” she said.
Trans darts player’s online abuse battle
Van Leuven has been open about the abuse she has faced, revealing earlier this month that she’d suffered panic attacks and depression in the wake of a backlash to qualifying for the world championships.
Tennis star Martina Navratilova, who has been a vocal opponent of trans inclusion in women’s sport, wrote: “No male bodies in women’s sports please, not even in darts. Again, women get the short end of the stick and it stinks.”
Van Leuven responded to the attacks in a statement given to Dutch outlet NOS (via Express), saying: “I don’t really feel the need to go further into it. This has been their choice and not mine.
You may like to watch
“I think the only unfortunate thing about this issue is that a lot of people forget that I am also a human being.”
A federal judge ruled Monday that a volleyball player for the San Jose State University women’s team, who is at the center of controversy about transgender athletes, can compete in this week’s conference tournament.
Judge S. Kato Crews, with the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, denied the emergency motion for a preliminary injunction filed this month against the Mountain West Conference.
The plaintiffs in the lawsuit that preceded the emergency motion included San Jose’s co-captain Brooke Slusser and 10 athletes from other schools who argued that their Title IX rights are being violated by allowing the athlete to play for a women’s sports team, according to the news outlet.
The 132-page lawsuit sought to prevent the player from participating in the conference tournament.
In addition to barring the athlete from the tournament, the emergency motion also sought to rescind the conference’s policy that establishes wins, losses and forfeits if a member of a non-canceling team has a transgender player; rescind the wins SJSU had and losses against teams that refused to play SJSU and to recalculate winning percentages based on games from earlier this season that some teams forfeited and apply the new calculations, and seedings, to the conference tournament that begins Wednesday.
Several conference teams have refused to play SJSU and instead forfeited the games.
The player, whom NBC News is not naming, has never spoken publicly, and SJSU has not confirmed that one of its players is transgender.
In Monday’s ruling, the judge determined that the emergency motion was a heavy lift for the conference at the 11th hour and was not needed because teams that had previously forfeited did so knowing the conference’s 2022 transgender policy.
“The relief requested with the Emergency Motion would risk confusion and upend months of planning and would prejudice, at a minimum, Defendants and other teams participating in the tournament depending on the results of any reseeding. On balance, the equities favor the MWC’s interest in conducting and proceeding with the tournament as planned,” the ruling read.
The judge also cited other laws and previous rulings noting that it’s impossible to discriminate against a person based on transgender status without discriminating against them based on sex.
In a statement Monday, San Jose State lauded the judge’s decision.
“San José State University will continue to support its student-athletes and reject discrimination in all forms,” the university said said. “All San José State University student-athletes are eligible to participate in their sports under NCAA and Mountain West Conference rules.”
The Mountain West Conference has said it is taking the suit’s allegations seriously.
“The Mountain West Conference prioritizes the best interests of our student-athletes and takes great care to adhere to NCAA and MW policies,” the group said in a statement. “While we are unable to comment on the pending litigation of this particular situation, we take seriously all concerns of student-athlete welfare and fairness.”
Last month, multiple teams canceled games against San Jose State, including on Oct. 24, when the University of Nevada, Reno, canceled citing it would not have enough players.
Nevada players announced that they were refusing “to participate in any match that advances injustice against female athletes,” without providing further details. The school’s athletic department said it wouldn’t back out from the match, referencing state equality laws, but added that no players would be disciplined.
The game was switched to San Jose, California, “in the interest of both programs,” the teams said in a joint statement — with no further explanation — before Nevada elected to forfeit.
Earlier this season, Southern Utah, Boise State, Wyoming and Utah State also canceled games against their conference foe.
In a letter sent Nov. 18 to the commissioner of the Mountain West Conference, Republican senators and representatives said the conference was violating Title IX sex discrimination protections and failing to meet its own requirements regarding gender equity.
“Permitting biological men to play in women’s sports is not equitable; it is an injustice,” the letter reads. “Under these guidelines, it is only fair that biological males play men’s sports and biological females play women’s sports.”
“Clearly, the Mountain West Conference has dropped the ball,” it continues.
The group of GOP lawmakers included Sens. Mitt Romney and Mike Lee and Reps. John Curtis, Blake Moore, Burgess Owens and Celeste Maloy of Utah; Sens. Mike Crapo and James Risch and Reps. Russ Fulcher and Mike Simpson of Idaho; and Sens. John Barrasso and Sen. Cynthia Lummis and Rep. Harriet Hageman of Wyoming.
Darts player Noa-Lynn van Leuven has qualified for the darts world championships – the first time a trans woman has done so.
Dutch player Noa-Lynn van Leuven, who transitioned in 2021 and has faced controversy for playing against cis women, qualified for her first PDC (Professional Darts Corporation) World Championship on Saturday (19 October) following a 5-3 victory over English star Beau Greaves in the 21st PDC Women’s Series in Leicester.
Van Leuven’s appearance at Alexander Palace in December will mark the first time a trans woman has secured a place in the mixed-gender competition, the largest and most prestigious event in competitive darts.
Commenting on her loss, Greaves said van Leuven “power-housed” her: “Sometimes in darts you’ve just got to allow it to happen and that was one of those days for me. Fair play to her, she played really well and she deserved the win. I fell asleep at times where I should have been hitting more trebles, and she punished me.”
However, not everyone has taken the result with such good grace.
Social media users misgendered the Dutch star, using he/him pronouns and calling her a “man”. Others labelled her a “cheater” and said she “stole a spot from a woman”.
This is not the first time Van Leuven has been attacked for being a trans darts player.
Earlier this year, she was thrust into the centre of a gender storm after she became the first trans player to win a PDC tour event, the mixed-gender Challenge Tour in Germany, and beat Ireland’s Katie Sheldon in the PDC Women’s Series.
People accused van Leuven of “only being trans to win darts matches”, and tennis legend Martina Navratilova, who has repeatedly opposed trans women competing against cis women, wrote on social media: “No male bodies in women’s sports please, not even in darts. Again, women get the short end of the stick and it stinks.”
Van Leuven’s involvement in the Dutch women’s darts team also prompted two compatriots, Anca Zijlstra and Aileen de Graaf, to quit the national squad, citing disagreement with rules around trans inclusion.
In addition, British darts player Deta Hedman twice refused to take on van Leuven, first at the Denmark Open in May, then in a singles match in July, saying there shouldn’t be “a man in a women’s event”.
Van Leuven spoke out after that, saying that a “lot of people forget that I am also a human being” and telling PinkNews she things got so bad that she didn’t even want to step out of her to house for a while. She has also spoken about getting death threats and being left “haunted” by the abuse.
“In my DMs, on Instagram, it was getting so harsh, from bullying to death threats. I remember going home, I was at Schiphol [Amsterdam airport]. I looked around for one-and-a-half minutes before entering a bathroom because I was getting texts like: ‘If I ever see you walking into the ladies’ room after my daughter, I will kill you’,” she told the i news.
“They still haunt me to this day. It has impacted me massively.”
The Professional Darts Players Association notes on its website that governing body the Darts Regulation Authority (DRA) encourages mixed-gender events in darts with the only exceptions being the Women’s Series and Women’s Matchplay operated by the PDC.
The DRA Trans & Gender Diverse Policy says transgender and non-binary players must be treated with respect, welcomed as any other member would be and accepted “in the gender they present”.
“I’m happy to announce that the NFL is continuing their support by making a $100,000 donation to the Trevor Project,” Nassib said on the NFL Network’s Good Morning Football.“So for those who don’t know, young LGBTQ people are actually four times more likely to harm themselves, and so the Trevor Project provides lifesaving support to these kids, and so this $100,000 is going directly to that organization to continue that work. So huge, huge thank you to the NFL … it’s a really positive step.”
Nassib came out in 2021, becoming the first active NFL player to do so. He was then a defensive end for the Las Vegas Raiders. Over the course of his career, he also played for the Cleveland Browns and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. When he came out, he made a $100,000 donation to the Trevor Project, which assists LGBTQ+ youth experiencing suicidal ideation and other crises, and the NFL matched that.
He retired in 2023 and is now focusing on his company, Rayze, a social media app that connects donors and volunteers with nonprofit organizations.
He has called himself a “pretty private person,” but he felt that after having been released by teams many times, he had nothing to lose by coming out. “After all that it was like, who cares if somebody says anything about me being gay? I couldn’t care less,” he told The Advocate this year.
With Rayze, he said in the same interview, “I go to bed every night and I can’t wait to go to work the next day. It’s crazy, going from the NFL, which is fiercely competitive and cutthroat, and now working with nonprofit organizations, who are dedicating their lives to help other people. The passion that they have for their mission is so invigorating.”
In announcing the donation, he released this statement: “When I came out in 2021, it was important to me to let LGBTQ+ young people know that they are not alone. It has been an absolute honor to use my platform to shine a light on the Trevor Project’s lifesaving services. The Trevor Project is near and dear to my heart, so it’s especially meaningful to me that the NFL has renewed their $100K commitment to support the organization’s mission to end suicide among LGBTQ+ young people.”
Trevor Project CEO Jaymes Black added, “Since partnering over four years ago, the NFL has been steadfast in their commitment to fostering LGBTQ+ inclusion in sports, and we are beyond grateful for their generous donation this National Coming Out Day. When sports leagues like the NFL are vocal about supporting the Trevor Project’s mission, it sends a clear message to LGBTQ+ young people that they are welcomed and accepted in athletic environments.
“The Trevor Project’s research found that 68 percent of LGBTQ+ young people reported that they had never participated in sports, with many citing concerns of discrimination and harassment from peers and coaches, fears of how others would react to their LGBTQ+ identity, and policies preventing them from playing on the team that matches their gender identity. Now, more than ever, it’s crucial for coaches, athletic directors, and teammates to create safe and affirming spaces for LGBTQ+ athletes to thrive openly as their authentic selves, both on and off the field.”
Jonathan Beane, the NFL’s senior vice president and chief diversity and inclusion officer, had this to say: “We are thrilled that the Trevor Project will continue to be a partner in our shared commitment to an LGBTQ-inclusive league and world. The Trevor Project’s work in championing LGBTQ youth and mental health is an inspiration, and we are proud to support the positive strides they are making to help communities in need.”I
f you or someone you know needs mental health resources and support, please call, text, or chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or visit988lifeline.org for 24/7 access to free and confidential services. Trans Lifeline, designed for transgender or gender-nonconforming people, can be reached at (877) 565-8860. The lifeline also provides resources to help with other crises, such as domestic violence situations. The Trevor Project Lifeline, for LGBTQ+ youth (ages 24 and younger), can be reached at (866) 488-7386. Users can also access chat services at TheTrevorProject.org/Help or text START to 678678.
A fourth university has forfeited its women’s volleyball match against San José State University following controversy over the gender identity of one of the team’s players.
Utah State University said in a brief statement Tuesday that it would not play its Oct. 23 match against SJSU, joining the University of Wyoming, Boise State University and Southern Utah University, which have all forfeited matches against the California school over the last three weeks.
None of the universities explained their decisions, though the University of Wyoming said the decision was made “after a lengthy discussion.” The universities have not responded to requests for additional comment.
Michelle Smith McDonald, senior director of media relations for SJSU, said the university will not address the gender identity of any student due to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, a federal student privacy law.
“It is disappointing that our SJSU student athletes, who are in full compliance with NCAA and Mountain West rules and regulations, are being denied opportunities to compete,” McDonald said in an emailed statement on behalf of the university. “We are committed to supporting our student-athletes through these challenges and in their ability to compete in an inclusive, fair, safe and respectful environment.”
The forfeitures began after months of speculation in conservative websites about the gender identity of one of SJSU’s players. In April, the far-right website Reduxx published an interview with an anonymous parent of an SJSU player who said there were “rumors” that one of the other players was a transgender woman.
The teammate in question did not return requests for comment. NBC News is not using her name because she has not made a public statement about her identity or confirmed that she is trans.
On Sept. 23, SJSU player Brooke Slusser joined a lawsuit filed by more than a dozen women athletes against the NCAA, which oversees collegiate athletics, arguing that its policy allowing trans women to compete on women’s teams violates Title IX, a federal law protecting students against sex discrimination in federally funded schools and programs. The suit is led by Riley Gaines, a former 12-time NCAA All-American swimmer who competed for the University of Kentucky and objected publicly to the participation of University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas, the first trans woman to win an NCAA championship.
In the lawsuit, Slusser says the teammate who was the subject of the media coverage told her she was a trans woman. When Slusser asked the teammate, whom Slusser had roomed with on team trips, why the teammate hadn’t shared this information with her before, the teammate said “there never seemed to be a good time to bring it up,” and that she was afraid Slusser would not be her friend if Slusser knew the truth, according to the suit, which uses “he” pronouns for the teammate. Slusser said she told the teammate she didn’t want her to be bullied but that she questioned whether it was safe or fair for the teammate to play on the women’s team.
Soon after, according to the suit, SJSU officials convened a meeting to address the news article about the teammate’s gender identity, and told members of the volleyball team that they shouldn’t speak about the teammate’s gender with anyone outside of the team. Slusser says that the teammate was stronger than other members of the team and that volleyball hits from the teammate caused more bruising and pain than hits from other players.
The suit says Slusser has experienced “physical and emotional injuries, embarrassment, humiliation, emotional distress, mental anguish and suffering” due to the teammate’s participation on the team and the NCAA’s policy that allows trans women to compete. Slusser did not return a request for additional comment.
The NCAA said in a statement that it “will continue to promote Title IX, make unprecedented investments in women’s sports and ensure fair competition for all student-athletes in all NCAA championships.” Michelle Brutlag Hosick, director of external communications for the NCAA, declined to comment further.
Trans rights advocates have noted that the teammate hasn’t confirmed her gender identity, but, if she is trans, it appears the information has been shared and spread without her permission, outing her nationally. Her profile with the team indicates she has played on women’s teams since at least high school and also played at SJSU for two previous seasons without public controversy.
Tony Hoang, the executive director of Equality California, said that in forfeiting matches against SJSU, school administrators are harming all students involved.
“Let’s be clear — this isn’t actually about sports; it is part of a coordinated nationwide attack on the LGBTQ+ community led by extremist right-wing politicians,” Hoang said in a statement Thursday.
The Republican governors of both Utah and Idaho publicly supported decisions by Southern Utah University, Utah State University and Boise State University to cancel their matches against SJSU.
Idaho Gov. Brad Little applauded Boise State for working “within the spirit” of a bill he signed to prohibit trans student athletes from playing on the school sports teams of their gender identities in K-12 schools and colleges, though the law is currently blocked by a lawsuit.
Conservatives have increasingly attempted to restrict trans inclusion in sports, among a variety of other LGBTQ-related issues. Half of states, including Idaho, Utah and Wyoming, prohibit trans student athletes from participating on the school sports teams that align with their gender identities as opposed to their assigned sexes at birth. Idaho’s and Utah’s laws are currently blocked by lawsuits.
Previously, trans athletes’ participation in sports was regulated by state sports associations, school districts and, in college athletics, the NCAA. In January 2022, the NCAA updated its trans athlete policy to adopt a sport-by-sportapproach that allows sports governing bodies to determine their own eligibility criteria. USA Volleyball requires trans women athletes to submit documentation of their testosterone levels to ensure they do not exceed the upper limit of the normal female range.
A federal judge extended a temporary order Tuesday for a transgender girl to play soccer for her high school team while considering arguments for a longer-term order and a possible trial as the teen and another student challenge a New Hampshire ban.
The families of Parker Tirrell, 15, and Iris Turmelle, 14, filed a lawsuit Aug. 16 seeking to overturn the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act that Republican Gov. Chris Sununu signed into law last month. While Turmelle doesn’t plan to play sports until December, Tirrell successfully sought an emergency order allowing her to start soccer practice on Aug. 19.
U.S. District Court Chief Judge Landya McCafferty found that Tirrell had demonstrated likely success on the merits of the case. She extended that order Tuesday, the day it was expiring, for another two weeks through Sept. 10. McCafferty also listened to arguments on the plaintiffs’ broader motion for a preliminary order blocking the state from enforcing the law while the case proceeds.
McCafferty also raised the possibility of a trial this fall, before winter track season starts for Turmelle, who attends a different school.
Chris Erchull, an attorney at GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders representing the the students, said he would be ready for a trial. Michael DeGrandis, an attorney for the state, said he would need to discuss that with the attorney general’s office.
“As soon as Iris walks into school next week, she’s going to be suffering harm because of the way this law impacts her,” Erchull said in a news conference afterward. “She has no guarantees that she will be able to participate in school sports this year.”
The lawsuit said the law violates constitutional protections and federal laws because the teens are being denied equal educational opportunities and are being discriminated against because they are transgender.
Lawyers for the state said the teens’ lawyers haven’t proven their case and they haven’t shown why alternatives, such as participating in coed teams, couldn’t be an option.
The bill signed by Sununu bans transgender athletes in grades 5 to 12 from teams that align with their gender identity. It require schools to designate all teams as either girls, boys or coed, with eligibility determined based on students’ birth certificates “or other evidence.”
Sununu had said it “ensures fairness and safety in women’s sports by maintaining integrity and competitive balance in athletic competitions.” He said it added the state to nearly half in the nation that adopted similar measures.
The rights of transgender people — and especially young people — have become a major political battleground in recent years as trans visibility has increased. Most Republican-controlled states have banned gender-affirming health care for transgender minors, and several have adopted policies limiting which school bathrooms trans people can use and barring trans girls from some sports competitions.
Last Friday, two New Hampshire teenagers – soccer players who have been living as girls since a young age – have sued the state of New Hampshire for instituting a transgender sports ban. The lawsuit was filed with help from the ACLU.
The lawsuit claims that the ban on trans inclusion in girls’ sports violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and Title IX, a 1972 amendment that further guarantees equal treatment in education on the basis of sex.
The lawsuit also reveals that the plaintiffs are aiming to file a restraining order against the defendants alongside their attempt to issue a temporary injunction on the bill to allow the girls to go back to playing sports.
Chris Erchull, senior staff attorney with GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), said in a statement, “Sports are a pillar of education in New Hampshire public schools because of the countless benefits of physical activity in a team environment, including physical and mental health, leadership skills, and social development. New Hampshire cannot justify singling out transgender girls to deny them essential educational benefits available to other students.”
H.B. 1205 was signed into law last month by Gov. Chris Sununu (R). The bill bans any transgender girl from participating on girls’ sports teams throughout high school. It was signed with two other anti-trans bills on the same day. A fourth bill, which would have overturned the state’s anti-discrimination measures for trans people, was vetoed by the governor.
The complaint names the Commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Education, members of the New Hampshire Board of Education, as well as members of the girls’ high school school board, as defendants in the suit. The plaintiffs are represented by Chris Erchull and Ben Klein at GLAD, Henry Klementowicz and Gilles Bissonnette at the ACLU of New Hampshire, and Louis Lobel, Kevin DeJong, and Elaine Blais at Goodwin.
Henry Klementowicz, Deputy Legal Director of the ACLU of New Hampshire, said in a statement, “H.B. 1205 stigmatizes and discriminates against transgender girls and tells them they aren’t deserving of the same educational opportunities to other girls in public schools. All students do better in school when they have access to resources that improve their mental, emotional, and physical health and [the girls] deserve that same access.”
Valentina Petrillo will get to show her speed at the Paralympic Games in Paris, after more than four years of uncertainty and setbacks.
The Italian Paralympic Committee confirmed her selection to their Paralympic team over the weekend. The selection makes Petrillo the first publicly out transgender athlete in Paralympic history.
Ness Murby came out publicly as trans after the last time they competed at the Paralympics. They did not compete at the Tokyo Paralympics after coming out and is not currently listed to compete in Paris.
“I have been waiting for this day for three years and in these past three years I have done everything possible to earn it,” she told BBC Sport. “The historic value of being the first transgender woman to compete at the Paralympics is an important symbol of inclusion.”
Petrillo, visually impaired since contracting Stargardt disease at age 14, will compete at 200-meter and 400-meter races in the T12 classification, which adjusts for visual impairment.
Get off the sidelines and into the game
Our weekly newsletter is packed with everything from locker room chatter to pressing LGBTQ sports issues.
Petrillo may lack sight, but she’s had a sharp focus on a vision of being on this grand stage for most of her life. She’s stayed the course and keeping running fast even when the way to the Paralympics looked to be a dead end.
How Valentina Petrillo got to the Paris Paralympics
Prior to transition, Petrillo was an 11-time national champion in the men’s competition. She sought to compete in women’s para athletic events since deciding to come out as trans in 2018 and starting hormone replacement therapy in 2019.
She met International Paralympic Committee and World Para Athletics standards to compete in the female category. But she ran up against friction from FISPES (Italian Federation for Paralympic and Experimental Sport), the national governing body for adaptive sport.
Officials initially refused to allow her to compete in female events. They finally relented prior to their national para athletics championships at the end of the 2020 season.
The next barrier her way came in 2021 when she was reclassified from T12 to T13 at mid-year, which meant having to meet a faster qualifying standard. Despite setting a 400-meter national record and promising international debut with a 5th-place effort at the 2021 European Para Athletic Championships, Petrillo was left off Italy’s roster for Tokyo.
“The day that I learned I was not going to Tokyo, I happened to find myself on an athletics track,” she stated in an interview with BiDiMedia in 2023. “From that day I immediately started to think about Paris and building what was possible.”
She met the next obstacle in her path in March 2023. Petrillo withdrew from the World Masters Indoor Athletic Championships in Poland due to anti-trans threats and concerns for her safety. A few days later, the ban on transgender women by World Athletics went into effect and worries grew that World Para Athletics would follow suit.
World Para Athletics choose to stay with current IOC standards and guidelines instead, and Petrillo earned a place at that year’s World Para Athletics Championships. She ended up a pair of bronze medals in Paris, including a personal best at 400 meters and huge boost toward to making a return trip for the big show in 2024.
The scrutiny, hopes and a dream from the past
Petrillo is scheduled to make her first appearance on the Paralympic stage on September 2. She will step in the starter blocks for the opening round of the women’s T12 400 meters, where she has the 6th fastest time in the world this year.
The discussion and speculation around a transgender woman with speed and accomplishment is brewing with competition more than two weeks away, as expected. Some say the scrutiny around Petrillo may be worse than the recent Olympic boxing controversy.
The 200 meters is Petrillo favorite event because of Mennea. The memory of his win 44 years ago has been her inspiration since. “I play that race over and over again,” she remembered in an interview with Outsports in 2020. “It gives me that same feeling of motivation and excitement.”
The memory spurs her bring her best races to the Paralympics, but she also seeks to set an example through her story which write a new chapter in front of the world.
I want to become the symbol of a world that is rebelling. I believe that in the future we need examples like mine,” Petrillo noted in an interview with Fanpage.it in July. “I am convinced that it will lead to something. Just see me in Paris at the Paralympics “
“I’m going to do the most beautiful thing, the one I’ve always dreamed of in life,” she continued. “I’m running with women.”
Team LGBTQ+ (i.e. all of the publicly out lesbian, gay, bi, trans and queer athletes) have finished in 7th place in the medal count, with an impressive 42 medals, consisting of 15 gold medals, 13 silver medals and 14 bronze medals. Slay!
In the traditional medal count (gold-silver-bronze) ranking, Team LGBTQ+ would be in 7th place.
That’s ahead of every single country that criminalises being gay, reports OutSports.
Japan was just in front of Team LGBTQ+ with 45 medals, while Italy was close behind with 40 medals, and the USA was way out in front of everyone with 126. Show offs.
For context, last time round, Team LGBTQ+ won a grand total of 32 team and individual medals – 11 gold, 12 silver and nine bronze – placing 10th in the 2021 Tokyo Games.
This year, Team LGBTQ+ smashed that number with their most-ever medals won.
However, that number will no doubt continue to increase over the course of future games as more athletes feel comfortable sharing their identity with the world.
Laura Aarts, Netherlands, Water Polo – Laura Aarts secured a bronze medal in the pool, beating the US.
Amandine Buchard, France, Judo – Amandine Buchard went from silver in Tokyo to gold in Paris in the 52kg category.
Natalya Diehm, Australia, BMX Freestyle – Natalya Diehm won a bronze medal which marked her as Australia’s first ever Women’s BMX Freestyle medal winner at an Olympic Games.
Lauren Doyle, Alev Kelter, Steph Rovetti, Kristi Kirshe, USA, Rugby Sevens – Rugby Sevens’ US team was bolstered by their LGBTQ+ stars and secured a bronze medal.
Beatriz Ferreira, Brazil, Boxing – Beatriz Ferreira won her second Olympic boxing medal after a thrilling match.
Carl Hester, Great Britain, Equestrian – Carl Hester (and his horse, Fame) secured his fourth Olympic medal in Paris with a bronze in Team Dressage.
Gabi Guimaraes, Ana Carolina Da Silva, Rosamaria Montibeller, Roberta, Brazil, Volleyball – The Brazillian women’s indoor volleyball team beat Turkey in the bronze medal match.
Evy Leibfarth, USA, Canoe Slalom – 20-year-old Evy Leibfarth, the first American to compete in three canoe/kayak Olympic disciplines, came away with a bronze.
Cindy Ngamba, Refugee team, Boxing – 25-year-old Cindy Ngamba has won a bronze medal in boxing, becoming the first athlete from the Olympic Refugee Team to win a medal at the Olympics.
Nesthy Petecio, Philippines, Boxing – Nesty Petecio won a bronze medal in boxing and is planning to retire after the Paris Olympics.
Tabea Schendekehl, Germany, Rowing – Tabea Schendekehl competed in the women’s quadruple sculls team event where she won a bronze medal.
Lea Schuller, Sara Doorsoun, Felicitas Rauch, Ann- Katrin Berger, Germany, Soccer – With four out players, Germany’s soccer team beat Spain 1-0.
Rafaela Silva, Brazil, Judo – Rafaela Silva won bronze in mixed-team judo, she won Brazil’s first gold medal at Rio 2016.
Samantha Whitcomb and Amy Atwell, Australia, Basketball – Winning bronze, Australia’s women’s basketball team secured their first Olympic medal since 2012.
Silver Medals
Olivia Apps, Sophie de Goede, Maddy Grant, Canada, Rugby Sevens – The Canadian team took home the silver medal in women’s rugby sevens.
Perris Benegas, USA, BMX Freestyle – Perris Benegas freestyled her way to a silver medal after knee surgery a few months earlier.
Tom Daley, Great Britain, Diving – Avid knitter and Olympic icon Tom Daleywon a silver medal in the 10-meter platform synchro competition, his fifth Olympic medal, while his husband and sons looked on.
Raz Hershko, Israel, Judo – Raz Hershko won a bronze in Tokyo and secured a silver in Paris in the +78kg Judo category.
Michelle Kroppen, Germany, Archery – After a bronze team medal in Tokyo, Michelle Kroppen earned silver in the mixed team event.
Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour, Denmark, Equestrian – Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour was part of the Danish dressage team who won silver.
Marta, Adriana, Tarciane, Tamires, Luciana, Lorena, Taina, Lauren Leal, Brazil, Soccer – The Brazilian women’s soccer squad had the second most out, LGBTQ+ athletes of any team.
Emma Twigg, New Zealand, Rowing – Emma Twigg won a silver medal in single sculls, dethroned from her previous gold.
Sha’Carri Richardson, USA, Track & Field – Bisexual track and field star Sha’Carri Richardson won a silver medal in the 100-meter sprint.
Lauren Scruggs, USA, Fencing – Lauren Scruggs won silver in an all-American women’s individual final, she also won gold in a team event.
Maria Perez, Spain, Track & Field – Maria Perez proved queer people do walk fast; she got a silver medal in the 20km racewalk.
Marianne Vos, Netherlands, Cycling – From her first Olympics in 2008, Marianne Vos went on to win silver in the 2024 women’s road race.
Haleigh Washington, USA, Volleyball – Bisexual volleyball player Haleigh Washington was part fo the US women’s volleyball team who secured silver, the runners-up to Italy.
Gold Medals
Alice Bellandi, Italy, Judo – Alice Bellandi secured Italy a gold in Judo and to celebrate the win she smooched her girlfriend (fellow judo star Jasmine Martin, who competes for South Africa).
Amandine Buchard, France, Judo – Amandine Buchard was part of the mixed-team gold medal for a home crowd in France.
Svenja Brunckhorst, Germany, 3×3 Basketball – Svenja Brunckhorst is a professional basketball player in Germany and France who won gold for the German team.
Tierna Davidson, USA, Soccer – Tierna Davidson is currently the only out player on Team US, after winning a bronze in Tokyo she’ll now be taking home a gold.
Paola Egonu, Italy, Volleyball – With Paola Egonu’s triumphant performance, Italy won its first-ever gold Volleyball medal.
Kellie Harrington, Ireland, Boxing – Kellie Harrington is the first Irish female athlete to win gold medals at consecutive Olympic Games. She is now looking forward to a quiet life with her wife Mandy.
Ana Patricia, Brazil, Beach Volleyball – With her World Championship teammate Eduarda Santos Lisboa, Ana Patricia secured the gold in a thrilling match against Canada.
Maria Perez, Spain, Track and Field – Maria Perez won gold in the marathon walk relay, after earning a silver medal in the individual 20km event.
Sha’Carri Richardson, USA, Track & Field – Sha’Carri Richardson added a gold in the 4×100-meter relay to sit beside her silver medal in the 100-meter sprint.
Lauren Scruggs, USA, Fencing – Lauren Scruggs won a team gold medal, after a silver in individual. Scruggs makes history as the first Black American woman and the first Black, out lesbian to win an individual medal in Olympic fencing.
Breanna Stewart, Diana Taurasi, Alyssa Thomas, Brittney Griner, Jewell Loyd, Chelsea Gray, Kahleah Copper, USA, Basketball – Over half of the Team USA women’s basketball team, including a couple of coaches and staff, are publicly out. The team narrowly beat France for the gold.
Anne Veenendaal and Marleen Jochems, Netherlands, Field Hockey –
Lara Vadlau, Austria, Sailing – Lara Vadlau and her dingy partner Lukae Maehr won the first Gold medal of this year’s Olympics for Austria.
Frederic Wandres, Germany, Equestrian – Frederic Wandres (and his horse Bluetooth) trotted his way to gold in the German team dressage event.
Portia Woodman-Wickliffe, New Zealand, Rugby Sevens – Portia Woodman-Wickliffe won gold, her third Olympic medal for New Zealand. Woodman-Wickliffe is married to fellow Black Fern and World Cup winner Renee Wickliffe.